Moses Wisner
Encyclopedia
Moses Wisner was a politician and soldier from the U.S. state
of Michigan
.
and received an education in the common schools while working on his parent's farm. In 1837, he moved to Michigan and settled on a farm in Lapeer County
. Two years later, he gave up on farming and moved to Pontiac, Michigan
.
at Pontiac and then moved to the village of Lapeer, Michigan
to began to a practice. He was appointed prosecuting attorney for Lapeer County in 1843 by Governor William Woodbridge
. He moved back to Pontiac to join a law firm there.
Wisner was not especially active in politics until after the election of U.S. President Franklin Pierce
in 1852, when he became active in the anti-slavery movement. He was one of the foremost critics in Michigan of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
of 1854 which repealed the Missouri Compromise
and opened the territories to slavery. He participated in the first convention of the U.S. Republican Party in Jackson, Michigan
in July, 1854 where he declined nomination as Michigan Attorney General
. That same year he was an unsuccessful candidate from Michigan's 4th congressional district
to the U.S. House against Democrat
George Washington Peck
.
In 1858, Wisner was elected the 12th Governor of Michigan
by a large majority and served one term from 1859 to 1861. After his term was over he returned to his home in Pontiac and resumed the practice of law.
, Wisner worked to raise the 22nd Michigan Infantry
and was commissioned a colonel
, but was stricken with typhoid fever
while en route to the regiment
's deployment. He died at the age of 47 in a private home near Lexington, Kentucky
, and left behind his wife, Angeolina Hascall, the daughter of General C. C. Hascall, of Flint, Michigan
, and four children.
Moses Wisner is interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Pontiac.
Wisner's Greek Revival-Style mansion in Pontiac, now called the Moses and Angeolina Hascall Wisner House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. This site is now a museum and cultural center, and it hosts occasional social gatherings including weddings and ice cream socials.
Wisner Township, Michigan
, in Tuscola County
is named after Moses Wisner. Wisner Stadium
, a football stadium located in Pontiac, Michigan
, is also named for Wisner.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Early life in New York
Wisner was born in Springport, New YorkSpringport, New York
Springport is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,367 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the local springs and lakeports....
and received an education in the common schools while working on his parent's farm. In 1837, he moved to Michigan and settled on a farm in Lapeer County
Lapeer County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 87,904 people, 30,729 households, and 23,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 134 people per square mile . There were 32,732 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile...
. Two years later, he gave up on farming and moved to Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
.
Life and politics in Michigan
He studied law while working at the law firm of his brother, George W. Wisner, and Rufus Hosmer. In 1841, he was admitted to the barBar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
at Pontiac and then moved to the village of Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
to began to a practice. He was appointed prosecuting attorney for Lapeer County in 1843 by Governor William Woodbridge
William Woodbridge
William Woodbridge was a U.S. statesman in the states of Ohio and Michigan and in the Michigan Territory prior to statehood...
. He moved back to Pontiac to join a law firm there.
Wisner was not especially active in politics until after the election of U.S. President Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
in 1852, when he became active in the anti-slavery movement. He was one of the foremost critics in Michigan of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement, and had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing settlers in those territories to determine through Popular Sovereignty if they would allow slavery within...
of 1854 which repealed the Missouri Compromise
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30'...
and opened the territories to slavery. He participated in the first convention of the U.S. Republican Party in Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
in July, 1854 where he declined nomination as Michigan Attorney General
Michigan Attorney General
The Attorney General of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan and one of four great offices of state. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, members of the Senate and...
. That same year he was an unsuccessful candidate from Michigan's 4th congressional district
Michigan's 4th congressional district
Michigan's 4th congressional district is a United States Congressional district that currently includes portions of Northern and Central Michigan, consisting of all of...
to the U.S. House against Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
George Washington Peck
George Washington Peck
George Washington Peck was a United States Representative from the state of Michigan.Peck was born in New York City and pursued classical studies, attending Yale College and studying law in New York City. He moved to Michigan in 1839 and settled in Brighton, where he was admitted to the bar in...
.
In 1858, Wisner was elected the 12th Governor of Michigan
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
by a large majority and served one term from 1859 to 1861. After his term was over he returned to his home in Pontiac and resumed the practice of law.
Death and legacy
In September 1862 during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Wisner worked to raise the 22nd Michigan Infantry
22nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 22nd Regiment Michigan Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:Former Governor of Michigan Moses Wisner worked to raise the 22nd Michigan Infantry and was commissioned as its colonel. The new regiment was mustered into...
and was commissioned a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
, but was stricken with typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
while en route to the regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
's deployment. He died at the age of 47 in a private home near Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, and left behind his wife, Angeolina Hascall, the daughter of General C. C. Hascall, of Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, and four children.
Moses Wisner is interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Pontiac.
Wisner's Greek Revival-Style mansion in Pontiac, now called the Moses and Angeolina Hascall Wisner House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. This site is now a museum and cultural center, and it hosts occasional social gatherings including weddings and ice cream socials.
Wisner Township, Michigan
Wisner Township, Michigan
Wisner Township is a civil township of Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 749 at the 2000 census.The first land entries in this area were made by Joshua Terry in 1853, by Green Bird in 1854, and by Isaiah Jester in 1855...
, in Tuscola County
Tuscola County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-15* M-24* M-25* M-46* M-81* M-138-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 58,266 people, 21,454 households, and 15,983 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 23,378 housing units at an average density of 29 per...
is named after Moses Wisner. Wisner Stadium
Wisner Stadium
Wisner Stadium is an athletic facility located in Pontiac, Michigan.Wisner Stadium was built in 1941 and named for Moses Wisner, the 12th Governor of the State of Michigan. Wisner, a resident of Pontiac, was a lawyer who became active in the anti-slavery movement.The stadium seats 6,600 and has...
, a football stadium located in Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
, is also named for Wisner.
External links
- Biographical Portraits 1892 Portrait & Biographical Album of Genesee, Lapeer & Tuscola Counties, Chapman Bros.
- Political Graveyard
- Memorial Library